County Derry man denied bail after allegedly imprisoning and molesting schoolgirls

A man from Maghera, Co. Derry who is alleged to have sexually molested two schoolgirls, one aged fifteen and the other aged sixteen, in his flat, was refused bail and remanded in custody when he appeared before the Derry Magistrate's Court today charged with eleven offences linked to the alleged incidents.

Kevin Duggan (31) from Largantogher Park in Maghera is charged with touching the girls in a sexual manner, attempting to incite one of the girls to engage in sexual activity, sexually communicating with one of the schoolgirls, possessing and offering to supply cocaine, supplying cannabis, threating to kill them and injuriously imprisoning them.

He's alleged to have committed the offences between December 28 of last year and January 1.

A detective constable told District Judge Oonagh Mullan that he would agree to the defendant being released on conditional bail, one of the conditions being that he reside at an approved address in Northern Ireland except in Maghera and except in the city side of Derry. 

However, he said a proposed bail address in Fahan, Co. Donegal, put forward by the defence, was unsuitable in terms of properly monitoring the defendant while on bail.

Outlining the allegations the police witness said a complaint about the alleged offending was made by the mother of the sixteen year old girl on January 19.

He said among the allegations made by the mother were that the defendant asked the two schoolgirls for a threesome, made a number of sexualised comments to them,  asked them to perform oral sex on him and slapped one of the girls on her bottom.

The officer said the defendant is also alleged to have offered the girls drugs as well as alcohol. He said some of the alleged offences were committed in the presence of the defendant's brother who is the boyfriend of the fifteen years old schoolgirl.

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The court heard that it was said that during some of the alleged offending both girls repeatedly told the defendant they wanted to leave his house. 

Duggan was said to have refused to let them leave by standing in front of them and blocking access to the door but they eventually got out of the property when the defendant became distracted.

It was also said that on December 31 he showed one of the girls a machete which he said belonged to him. 

He also showed her a pointed hand made wooden weapon which he said he would use to stab people in the neck. 

The court heard this was later found behind the sofa in his address. 

The officer said Duggan also told the girls he would kill them if they told anyone what he had done.

Applying for bail a defence barrister said the complaint was made nineteen days after the alleged incidents. He said a bail address was available to the defendant at the home of his mother's partner in Fahan, Co. Donegal, well away from Maghera.

He submitted it was not uncommon for bail to be granted outside the jurisdiction to an address in Donegal where the defendant could be appropriately monitored and if necessary sign on in the Strand Road PSNI station.

The barrister said the defendant, who denied the allegations, had no relevant previous convictions and had only two convictions for motoring offences.

The District Judge said she was not happy with a bail address outside the jurisdiction and she remanded the defendant in custody until February 25.